Friday, June 16 2006 18:01 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Amid a raging controversy over the Government's move to take over the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project, a small stretch of the Expressway under it was thrown open to traffic on the city's outskirts today (June 16, 2006).

The 'soft opening' of Mysore Road to Kanakapura Road section of the peripheral Expressway was done amid tight security.

The Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE),which is executing the project, and the government have locked horns over the issue of taking over the project. No Government official was present in today's function.

Despite the Public Works Department asking it not to go ahead on the ground that quality of works had to be checked, NICE had declared last night it would not stop the function.

NICE Managing Director Ashok Kheny said the government was giving a 'confusing picture' as, on the one hand, it had asked them not to go ahead but, on the other, written to the company assuring them of providing the required land in accordance with the Supreme Court directive.

He said the project would be completed by December 2007 if the land was provided to NICE, which had already spent Rs 800 crore on BMIC project, for constructing the six-lane expressway and five townships.

The BMIC project is at the centre of a controversy as the government has made moves to bring in a legislation to take over it on the ground that NICE was possessing excess land purchased from farmers at 'a throwaway price.'

The issue has also pushed the JDS-BJP coalition Government to the brink of a crisis as the saffron party is only favouring taking back the excess land from NICE and opposing the complete take over of the project.